Physician / Doctor, Obstetrician
Salary

Generous salaries abound for Obstetricians in the United States, with average pay above six figures ($199K) per year. Medical benefits are awarded to a large number, and more than half earn dental coverage. More than half of Obstetricians (66 percent) survey participants are women. Job satisfaction for Obstetricians is high. This overview is based on answers to PayScale's salary questionnaire.

XTotal Pay combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job. It does not include equity (stock) compensation, cash value of retirement benefits, or the value of other non-cash benefits (e.g. healthcare).

XTotal Pay combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job. It does not include equity (stock) compensation, cash value of retirement benefits, or the value of other non-cash benefits (e.g. healthcare).

Job Description for Physician / Doctor, Obstetrician

A physician/doctor, obstetrician is a specialist trained in the care of women in pregnancy and the delivery of children. This doctor typically will be fully trained in all areas of women's reproductive health. As such, many obstetricians serve as licensed gynecologists as well. In the primary role of obstetrician, however, he or she will be the guide for expectant mothers through childbirth and the time immediately following that.

Obstetricians are obviously primarily concerned with both the prenatal health of both pregnant mothers and their unborn children. Typically, a woman in pregnancy will schedule many visits throughout this time in her life to monitor prenatal development and health in the womb. The obstetrician will normally perform a variety of tests on both the growing fetus and the mother in order to assure the most healthy birth possible.

Obstetrics is a very involved specialty, and anyone interested in pursuing it should expect a rigorous education background that may include years of post-graduate instruction, residency, and internship. Obstetricians must also be licensed specifically to practice this specialty and must maintain all certifications in an up-to-date manner. These doctors need strong interpersonal skills and good bedside manner as well. Persons in this profession should expect long, occasionally irregular hours working in a hospital and clinical setting.

Common Career Paths for Physician / Doctor, Obstetrician

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Obstetricians' salaries tends to stay somewhat level when they assume higher-end positions like Obstetrician or Gynecologist. On average, Obstetricians and Gynecologists get paid about the same as Obstetricians. A lot of Obstetricians advance their careers by becoming Obstetrician / Gynecologist (OB/GYN)s and Obstetrician or Gynecologists. However, those positions offer $8K less and $21K less per year on average.

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Pay by Experience Level for Physician / Doctor, Obstetrician

Median of all compensation (including tips, bonus, and overtime) by years of experience.

Substantial, six-figure paychecks show up early in this area; folks who have worked for fewer than five years report earning a median of $180K. Obstetricians bring in $219K after working for 10 to 20 years. Respondents who boast more than 20 years of experience can't seem to boast paychecks reflecting that extensive experience, though; veteran Obstetricians report making only $206K on average.